


The After Hours

by MizKTakase



Series: Tales of the Bizarre - Collection 1 (Oct. 2013-Oct. 2015) [19]
Category: K-On!
Genre: Drama, Horror, Parody, mannequins
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-19
Updated: 2017-10-19
Packaged: 2019-01-19 13:41:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,708
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12411384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MizKTakase/pseuds/MizKTakase
Summary: In a retelling of a classic "The Twilight Zone" episode, Mio visits a department store, and wants to buy something.  However, when she is trapped in closing hours, a discovery will take place.





	The After Hours

In a huge department store in Tokyo, people are shopping for stuff, including clothing, food, and other kinds of goodies.  There are also kids that are buying candy, while a few men are buying some sports equipment, while women are having a look around at a clothing boutique.  One girl, a girl with long black hair, a pink shirt, and tan beige pants was walking down the store, looking for help.  She turned to a man in a suit.  She said to him, “Excuse me, sir?”

The man turned to her, as he said, “What can I do for you?”

“Well, I was wondering if you can help me out.  I want to buy something for the Light Music Club.”

“Ah, the music store?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, we have a directory, close by.  You can find the music store in the fifth floor.  The map’s there.”

“Cool.  I don’t mind.  I can take the elevator, right?”

She left, as the man asked, “Excuse me, Miss?”

“Hmm?”  She asked him, “What is it?”

“I’ve seen you here, a lot.  Any idea why you came back?”

The girl said, “Uh, sorry… I don’t shop here, a lot.  But that’s pretty much personal.  Thank you.”

She walked to the huge directory map, in the middle of the mall, as she found the music store, located on the fifth floor.  She then said, “Perfect.  All I needed is a new guitar pick for my bass.  Not after Yui tried to ruin it with her teeth.  Doesn’t she know the difference between a guitar pick and a tooth pick?”

She then headed to an elevator, as a girl in a uniform and a denim hat, was saluting to the girl.  She called to her, “Express elevator~!”

She stepped in, as she said, “Uh, fifth floor, please.”

The elevator closed, as the elevator operator said, “Any idea where you’re off to, Miss?”

The girl said, “Uh, no reason.  Just to get a guitar pick for my bass guitar.”

The operator said, “That’ll be on the ninth floor.”

“Ninth floor?”

“Yes.  They have great deals there.  Plus, this is an express elevator to the ninth floor.”

“Discount store?  Oh, I wouldn’t do that.”

“You should.  It’s good quality there.”

“I suppose so.”

The elevator went up, as the operator asked, “So, haven’t seen you around.  What’s your name?”

“Oh, uh… Mio Akiyama.”

“Mio…”

Mio sighed, as the operator asked, “Are you happy?”

“Huh?  Why do you ask?”

“Oh, no reason.  Just assuring if you’re feeling happy.”

“Uh…”

The elevator stopped, as the operator said, “Ninth floor.  Watch your step.”

Mio stepped out, as she walked out of the elevator, into an empty floor, with empty glass display cases.  The elevator closed up, as Mio gasped.  She then said, “Weird…  It looks empty…”

_Express elevator to the ninth floor of a department store, carried Miss Mio Akiyama, on a prosaic, ordinary, run-of-the-mill errand.  Miss Mio Akiyama on the ninth floor – Specialties Discount Department.  She is looking for a guitar pick.  The odds are that she’ll find it – but there are even better odds that she’ll find something else._

Mio looked around and said, “Well, this is strange.  There’s nothing in here…”

A woman in long brown hair, and in a blue jacket and shirt, spoke the Mio, “Hello there, Miss.”

Mio turned to the woman, as she smiled, “Uh… Hi.”

_Because this isn’t just a department store in Japan.  This happens to be… a “ **Tale of the Bizarre** ”._

**_Tales of the Bizarre in:  
The After Hours_ **

The lady said, as she smiled, “What can I do for you?”

“Uh, yes, hi… I was looking for a guitar pick.”  Mio said, “You see, I want to get a new one, since my old one was damaged.  I was to come to the fifth floor, but the girl in the elevator said to go to the ninth floor.”

The woman smiled and said, “Aw, how nice of you.  You don’t need a lot of money to spend on strings and items.  Just a discount area, right here.  Would you like to look around?”

Mio barked, “Look around?  I came here for a guitar pick, but I don’t see anything here, anywhere!  What is this, a gag?  This doesn’t look like a store to me!”

The woman said, “Well, yes… It is.  But no one comes here, a lot, easily.  But you are the first customer in a month or so.”

“A month?  No wonder you’re not out of business, yet.”

“Oh, come now.  Everybody has to start on somewhere.”

“Right… Look, Miss…”

“Megumi.  Megumi Sokabe.  Just call me Megumi, Mio.”

Mio was shocked, as she asked, “Uh… How do you know my name?”

Megumi smiled, “Don’t I always?  Sorry if I happened to invade your privacy.  But I was just curious.”

Mio shivered, “Oh, yes… Thank you…  I’m surprised that you even know me.  I mean, I don’t want to make a big deal out of this, but what kind of place is this?”

“It’s usually a discount store, for items that are out of date.  But we don’t sell expired food.  We’re not that sickening.”

“Oh, good.  I thought it was some sort of fake front.  Anyway, sorry to make you worry.”

“Thank you.  Now, about your purchase…  What are you looking for, exactly?”

Mio looked at the empty cases and said, “Well, to be honest, I was actually looking for a guitar pick, but I don’t see anything inside the--.”

But in her surprise, she spotted a small white guitar pick in the counter, as she was amazed.  She said, as she was cheerful, “HEY!  That looks like _my_ guitar pick!”

Megumi said, “Oh!  What a coincidence.”

Mio said, “Well… I’ll take it.  How much?”

Megumi smiled, as she turned to the cash register.  Mio then asked her, “Why are you smiling at me?”

Megumi said, as she smiled at Mio, “Would you like it giftwrapped?”

“Uh, sure…”

She pulled the pick out and gave it to her, in a small ring box.  Megumi rang the price to her, as she said, “That’ll be 1,500 Yen.”

_1,500 Yen = $13.98 American_

Mio gave her 2,000 Yen and said, “Here you go.  Nice deal on a pick.  I mean, usually they are worth like 3,000 to 4,000 Yen, for those high quality picks.”

Megumi said, “You know, there are good prices on some good picks.”

Mio held her pick and said, “Well, anyway, thank you very much.”

Megumi then said, as Mio was about to leave, “Mio…  Are you happy?”

“Huh?”

“I said, are you happy?”

“What?  Why do you ask me that?”

“Just curious.  I mean, are you happy, or are you simply sad?”

Mio then scoffed, “I’m sorry, but that’s none of your business.  That’s simply personal.”

Megumi giggled, as she said, “Okay.  I get it.  It’s none of my business.”

She and Mio stared at each other, as Mio was scared.  She then said, “Oh… kay…”

Megumi smiled and said, “We hope to see you again, Mio.”

Mio giggled nervously and waved goodbye.  After that, she was confused.  She turned around and asked Megumi.  But she disappeared.  She then entered the elevator, as she met with the same girl in her hat and uniform.  She said to the operator, “Nice girl.”

The elevator went down.  “Did you enjoy your purchase?”  the operator asked.

“Well, yeah, but… It’s a rather _odd_ girl… But… I think I recognize her, from--.”

She then paused and looked at her guitar pick that she bought.  She complained, “Aw, it’s cracked!”

Her brand new pick had a small faint crack in the middle, as Mio was upset.  She grumbled, “Oh, this is unfair.  I known picks cannot be repaired, but I can’t play it with this.”

She showed it to her, as she said, “I mean, look!  You never played the guitar, do you?  I think I got ripped off or something.”

The operator then replied, without hesitation, “Complaints – Third Floor.”

Mio said, as she was amazed, “Never complained, did you?  I mean, that’s all and good, but I can’t use it, now.  Take me back to the ninth floor.”

The elevator stopped, as the girl said, “Third floor.”

She stepped out and looked around, as the mall was surrounded by people.  The elevator closed, as Mio approached a clerk in a desk.  She asked him, “Excuse me, sir?”

The man was in a pink suit, in slick black hair.  He said, “Yes, madame?”

“Yeah, is this the _Complaints Department_?”  Mio asked him.

The man replied, “No, it’s not.  But I think it’d be better if you’d talk to the manager about this.”

Mio smiled, as she was relieved, “Thank god…”

Back at a clothing department, the man in his slate suit was busy supervising, as the man in pink said, “Mr. Keiko, there’s a woman here that wishes to complain.”

Mr. Keiko replied, “Uh, yes, I’ll notify the manager.”

He left to find the manager.

**XXXXX**

Mr. Keiko was in the manager’s office.  She was a woman with long blonde hair, done in a ponytail, and in an eggshell white business suit.

He said to her, completely annoyed “Well, I distinctly told her that all the guitar and bass picks are usually sold as gifts, ma’am.  I mean, if it’s _indeed_ scratched, I can abide by her assistance, by refund or replacement.”

Ms. Saito asked, “Then, what _is_ the problem?”

“The woman complained that she _didn’t_ get the item in gifts; but got it at _another_ department.”

She stated to him, “Mr. Keiko… Just take her to the department where she got the gift from.”

He added, “Yeah?  But there’s a problem to that theory…”

“What’s that?”

“She had told me some idiotic story about purchasing a bass pick, on the _ninth floor_.”

He chuckled, as she asked, “ _Ninth floor?!_ That’s ridiculous!  I trust you to inform the lady that this building _has NO_ ninth floor!”

“Ms. Saito, I’m definitely trying to reason it out with her, but she _insists_ that she was in the ninth floor, and then was waited on by an _odd_ girl.  A personality she can be personally knowledgeable about, since she calls the girl _odd._ But anyway, she was waited on, and she--.”

She barked, “Never mind!  I’ll talk to her.”

Keiko stated, “Yes, yes, ma’am.  She’s waiting outside, right as we speak.”

They walked out of the office, heading to see Mio, who was waiting in the lobby.

**XXXXX**

Mio, minutes later, was sitting in a bench, waiting for someone to arrive. She is met with Mr. Keiko and Ms. Saito.  She introduced herself to her, “Hello.  I’m Ms. Saito, I’m the manager of this store.  Now, I hear that you have a complaint.”

Mio said, “Yes, I do.  You see, I bought this guitar pick, for only 1,500 Yen, and…”

Keiko asked, “Fifth Floor?  Because you _were_ looking for a guitar pick, and you were asking me, earlier about a music store.”

Mio explained, “Well, yes.  But you see, when I arrived, I took an express elevator to the ninth floor.  You see, what happened was that when I arrived, I--.”

Ms. Saito replied, “I’m sorry, Miss.  But I’m afraid that is not a good enough excuse.  You see, we don’t _have_ a ninth floor.”

Mio gasped, as she was shocked, “What?”

Saito explained, “See, we only go up to the eighth floor, which is our food court and library area.  The ninth floor is simply a trip to the roof.”

Mio protested, “No.  You didn’t let me finished.  I took an elevator to the ninth floor.  It was an empty floor.  I bought this guitar pick, by a very _odd_ woman!  I mean, it was 1,500 Yen, and it’s cracked!  Come on!  I gave her that much money, 2,000 Yen, and--!”

The manager held her hand out and asked, “Your receipt?”

Mio said, as she was confused, “Receipt?  Oh…  She, uh, didn’t give me one…”

“I see.  But store policy states that you cannot exchange or refund a purchase, without a receipt.”

“Yeah, I know!  I was on the ninth floor, and I was met by that weird woman!  She gave me that pick!  Look, you know her!  She had long hair, and she was weari--!”

She stopped and saw a view of a woman in long brown hair, in a denim jacket and jeans.  She only saw her back and said, “Well, that’s her, right now!  See?  She _is_ here!”

Ms. Saito asked, “Uh, her who?”

Mio called to the girl, who looked exactly like Megumi.  “MISS!  Miss, I was wonderin--!”

But as she went closer, a woman in a blue blouse and skirt held Megumi, and turned her around.  She then picked her up, carrying her away.  Mio was in complete shock, as she turned a pale white in her face, seeing Megumi’s face, while her body was stiff and rigid.  She croaked and gagged in fear.

“Miss?  Miss, are you okay?”  Ms. Saito asked Mio.

Mio could not believe her eyes.  The girl she met, Megumi Sokabe, in long brown hair, dark eyes, cute smile, and all, the one person she met in the rumored ninth floor, selling her a guitar pick… was a mannequin.  Mio was shocked by this that she turned completely white as a sheet.  She collapsed on the floor and fainted.

Keiko cried, “MISS!  MISS!  Get a doctor!  Somebody!”

The manager and the clerk tried to revive her, but no luck.  Mio was out like a light, after a sudden weird moment.

Moments later, in a small office in the mall, Mio was lying on a cot, flushed red in her cheeks, and with a damp washcloth on her forehead.  She moaned, as the doctor was sitting by her side.  She woke up, as the doctor said, “Well, how are you feeling, today?”

Mio said, as she was still stricken, “I can’t believe it…  Either this store has mysterious secrets, or I must be losing it.”

“Come on, now.  Ms. Saito gave me the whole story about this delusion of yours.”

“Yeah… He, he, he… Delusion…  I can’t believe that a girl I met… was actually a store dummy.  I mean, her face was exact and lifelike, but she’s nothing but a wooden doll.  I mean, it’s so ridiculous…”

“It’s okay, Miss.  You get some bed rest, until the store closes.  Miss Saito said that they close at 6.  So, I’ll have to check-up on you.  Now then, when did you see this misconception of a ninth floor?”

Mio explained that it was in the afternoon.  She was looking for a guitar pick and was told to look for the music store on the fifth floor.  However, she took an express elevator to the ninth floor.  And when she arrived, there was a huge store, desolate and empty.  And that was when she met Megumi, or the mannequin.  The doctor said, “Now, Miss, I assure you that there is NO ninth floor.”

“I know…” Mio said, “But… It’s like I knew of this woman, before… and moreover… it felt so real, to me…”

The doctor said, “Well, no harm done, and nothing serious.  I’ll tell you what.  You go home and get some rest, and we’ll forget this whole thing.  In the meantime, I want you to stay here, until closing time, and maybe shake off these delusions of yours.”

Mio smiled, “Thank you, doctor…”

She lied back down, as the store doctor left the office.  Mio then felt tired, as she moaned, “Mmm…  He’s right.  I’m not crazy or anything… But this Megumi… a mannequin…  I… I don’t know, but I may have seen her, before…”

Her eyes were heavy, as she was yawning.  She fell asleep, on the cot, out like a light.

**Zzz…  
** Mio was sound asleep, as the clock was set to 4:30pm.

**XXXXX**

Meanwhile, at the clothing department, Mr. Keiko approached a female clerk in a red cardigan and light brown hair.  They were by the Megumi mannequin, as Keiko asked the clerk, “Well, how is she?”

The woman replied, “She’s starting to feel better.  She suddenly felt ill, after seeing such a shock.”

Keiko exclaimed, “Well, she wouldn’t stay long, here.  Listen, I want you to wake her at 5:45.  We’re closing in one hour.  Also, about this little incident, we’ll have her come back tomorrow and we’ll refund her money or exchange her item.”

The woman said, “Yes, sir.”

She left, as Mr. Keiko went in the other direction.  He called to the women in the desk, “Ladies!  Ladies!  Come now, let’s not dilly-dally!  Back to work!”

That night, Mio was still in the cot, sound asleep.  She then woke up and stretched herself.  She then looked at the clock and was stunned.  It was 7pm, one hour after the store was closed.

“Seven at night?!”  Mio cried, “Oh, no… I have to go home…”

She got up and went to the door, leading to the lobby.  She then said, as she walked around the lobby, “Wow…  Nighttime, already?  How long was I out?”

She found the exit, as she opened the double doors.  But much to her surprise, they were locked.  She tried opening up, but no luck.  She pounded on the doors and cried, “HELLO?  Anyone?  I’m locked in the mall!  Can anyone hear me?”

She stepped back and panicked, as she was all alone, in the dark.  She whispered, “Alone… Alone in the mall… It’s like a dream come true, here in this mall, but it’s a nightmare…  It’s too dark…”

She cried out, “Security?  Night watchman?  Hello?”

She continued to walk down the path, looking at each store, with a metal fence over it.  She then said, “Well, the mall is closed… and I’m stuck here.  I hope security footage will know I am here.”

She continued to walk, all the way to the elevators.  She then stopped and gasped, seeing the elevator work.  She stepped inside and said, “Too scary… Am I all alone?”

She looked around and said, “Huh…  That girl in the uniform is absent.  I can tell, since she is really too cheerful, like Yui.”

The elevator went up, as it headed to the ninth floor.  She said, as the LED light panel said “9”.  She said, “The roof?”

The doors opened, revealing a huge desolate room, full of empty cases, and even a few mannequins, standing about.  She said, “Strange.  I never knew _this_ part, before.”

A few voices echoed in silence, as they chanted Mio’s name.  She gasped, as she was scared.

“Mio…” they chanted her name, as Mio was trembling in fear.

She dashed off, as she cried, “No…  Why is this happening?  Is this place haunted?”

A female voice called out, “Mio!  Think about it…”

She continued to run, until she returned to the elevator.  She went down to the seventh floor, which is a clothing department.  She then thought, “Who’s controlling this elevator?”

She cried out, as she was looking around, “Hello?  HELP ME!  Someone save me!”

A male person appeared, in a black school uniform, called and beckoned to her.  He said, “Mio…”

Mio gasped, “You?  What’s going on here?”

The boy said, “You need to think…”

Mio barked, “What! Do you want from me?”

He said, “We want you to think… to remember…”

Mio gasped, “Remember what?  I don’t understand?”

The boy explained, “Well, you need to understand, Mio…  Think harder…”

“Look, I wanna go home!  I’m stuck here, and no one’s saving me!”

“But… You _are_ home…”

“What?  What are you talking about?”

“You’re a mannequin.”

Mio was shocked to the MAX.  The boy added, “I’m a mannequin, too.  In fact, we all are.  You need to accept your fate.  You were late.”

Mio cried, “NO!  THAT IS NOT TRUE!”

She ran away, shoving the boy out of the way.  She cried, “HELP!  HELP, SECURITY!  Help, anyone!  HELP ME!”

She ran off, heading down the stairs, as a few voices were calling to her.  Mio didn’t want to accept that she’s a mannequin.  She’s a human being, and she is.  She stated, “NO!  I can’t think!  I wanna go home!”

A male voice called to her, “Mio… Don’t be afraid…”

Another male voice called, “We’re all mannequins, and so are you!”

Mio shrieked, as a female voice called, “Why did you run away?”

A second female voice called out, “Try to remember.”

A third female voice called, “Don’t be afraid…  We want you back…”

Mio ran to the emergency exit and ran down the stairs, heading to the fourth floor.  She arrived at a bridal boutique, near the shoe store.  She panicked, as she was scared stiff.

“Everybody thinks I’m a mannequin!  But I’m not!  I’m Mio Akiyama… I’m a member of the Light Music Club… I am in a band… I’m… I’m…”

She shivered, as she held herself, “What’s wrong with me?”

She sobbed, as another girl’s voice said, “Don’t be afraid…  We want to see you, again.”

The voices continued to rally inside the mall, as she backed behind two female mannequins in white wedding dresses.  She shivered and gasped, “AAAGH!”

The first mannequin spoke, “Come home, Mio…”

The second one added, “We miss you…”

Mio shrieked, as she ran away.  She ran all the way to the elevator, again, this time, heading to the first floor.  As she was in the elevator, the voices continued to plead to her to come home.

“Mio, come home…”

“Why did you run away?”

“We miss you.”

“Think harder.”

“Mio…”

“Mio!”

“Come home, Mio!”

“Mio…”

“Please come home, Mio…”

The voices continued, as she stepped out of the first floor, completely terrified and scared.  She dashed away, heading to the fountain, near the exits.  She then moaned, as she was crying, “Why?  Why won’t they let me go?  I don’t belong here!  I am not like that!”

Megumi’s voice called, “Mio…”

Mio looked at the fountain, as she looked at her reflection in the water.  She sobbed, “Please, tell me what’s going on?  Is this Ritsu’s prank?  It’s not funny, anymore.”

Megumi said, “No, it’s not.”

Mio asked, “Who said that?”

She turned around and saw Megumi, in her mannequin form.  Mio shrieked, and then dropped to the floor, crying.

“NO!  Waaahh… Please… Leave me alone…” She bawled, “NO more… NO more…”

She continued to whimper, as Megumi approached Mio, moving like a human.  She said, “Oh, come now, Mio.  You had your turn to experience the human world, for a month.  Now, let’s let someone else have a turn…”

Mio sobbed, “No… I’m not a mannequin… I’m not… No… I’m not it… No…”

She continued to cry, as Megumi said, “Tsk, tsk, tsk… You are a high school senior, yet you act like a little child.  Come.”

She extended her hand and said, “Please.  We won’t scare you, anymore.”

Mio shivered, as she backed away.  She wept, “No.  I won’t…”

Megumi held her hand and said, “Oh, come on.  I’ll explain everything.  Besides, you’ve been running for hours.  I think it’s time we explain it, fully.”

Mio stopped crying for a bit, as she and Megumi entered the elevator.  They were heading to the ninth floor.  Mio sniffled, “Megumi… is it?  What’s going on?  What do you want from me?”

Megumi said, “Think harder.  You can understand.  We’re all trying to help you.  Once we arrive, we’ll explain the story, fully, so you can remember…”

Mio wiped her tears and said, “Yes, you’re right.  But… It’s just… I recognize you from--.”

“Before?”

“Yes.  I mean, you were--.”

“Graduating?  Yes.  I only stayed for one whole month, and after that, I returned here.”

“Well, I think I remember you.  But… what does that have to do with me?”

“You’re an alluring mannequin.  It’s no wonder why there was a _Mio Akiyama Fan Club_.  Of course, the fans never got to see you, for a while.  I have the girls here idolize you, despite being lost in the human world.”

“You think so?”

“I know so.  But trust me.  Once we arrive, we’ll sort it all out, so you can finally be home…”

She held her hand, as Mio sniffled, “I’m sorry…”

The elevator arrived at the ninth floor, as all the mannequins, in their human form, including the girl in her hat and suit, were waiting for Mio.  She walked toward the desolate area, as everyone surrounded her, including Megumi, who was smiling for her.  She whispered, “Now… Mio.  We’re all trying to help you.  After all, you had such good memories, it’s almost like you spent a whole day here… and to us, a day is like a lifetime.”

Mio looked at their smiles, as she felt funny.  She said, “Megumi… I don’t--.  It’s just… I wanted to--.”

Megumi whispered, holding her hands, “Think.”

Mio then said, as she felt something odd about her.  She said, “That’s rather odd… but… seeing your faces again… I’m suddenly…”

“Yes!  You remember now?”

Megumi giggled, as Mio whispered, “No… I’m not… but… It was my…”

She exclaimed, as she finally remembered, “It was _my_ turn!  That’s it!  I was here for one month, and--.”

Megumi scolded, “Yes, you were!  And you know well that you spent a whole month with the humans, just so you can have fun.  I mean, you only live once a month, before you get another turn.  _Everybody_ gets a turn, and you arrived here, one day late!  That was very naughty of you, Mio.”

She then scoffed and said, “And, to be blunt, it was _my_ turn, this month, and I’m already one day tardy.”

Mio smiled and said, “Oh, I’m so sorry.  I didn’t mean to worry you.  I mean, I wanted to come back, but… the humans and their friends, they were so joyful and fun.  But, it was like… when I lasted a month here, I was like I learned something from all this.”

The girl in her hat asked, “And what’s that, Mio?”

Mio explained, “It’s like we are with the humans, in the outside world, deep down inside us, like we act just like them that we’ve forgotten who we were.”

Megumi smiled and hugged her, saying to her, “Well, no harm done.  What’s a day late, anyway?  It’s good to see you again.”

Mio said, “Ever so much fun, Megumi…  I won’t leave here, again.”

Megumi bowed and said, “Well, I’m off.  Mio, welcome home.  Have fun.”

Mio smiled and waved goodbye, “Take care.”

She left, as the others waved goodbye to her.  She left to the express elevator, as she was leaving the department store, heading to the outside world for one month.  As she waved goodbye, Mio started to stiffen from her legs.  She smiled and said, looking at her rigid legs, “Well, I guess this is it, for now.”

The girl asked her, “So, Mio.  Ever so much fun, right?  You had fun?”

Mio replied, “Indeed.  I’m going to miss being in the outside world, just like the friends I’ve made…”

Her arms stiffened, posing in place, as she whispered, “But… … … …Will my friends miss me?”

She remained in place, along with the girl in the hat, as the clock struck midnight.

The next day, at the department store, Keiko was walking down the aisles, supervising the store.  After that, he went past a mannequin that resembled Mio, wearing clothes, similar to her school uniform.  He then paused and turned around, seeing it.  He then shrugged his shoulders and said, “Meh.”

He left, as Megumi appeared, in her casual attire, a light blue jacket and skirt in a white shirt.  She looked at the Mio mannequin and said, “Welcome home, Mio…  See you soon…”

Megumi walked off, leaving the store.

_Mio Akiyama, in her normal and natural state, a wooden girl with a painted face, who, in one month out of a year, takes on the characteristics of someone as normal, and as flesh and blood as you and I.  But it makes you wonder, doesn’t it, just how normal are we?  Just who are the people we nod our hellos to, as we pass, on the street?  A rather good question to ask, particularly… in the “ **Tales of the Bizarre** ”._

**Author's Note:**

> This story is a retelling of the classic episode of the same name, from “The Twilight Zone”. Of course, I’m referring to the original episode, and not the remake from 1986; preferably both. The opening and closing narrations were exactly the same as the original episode, and some of the mannerisms were exact, just like in the original, with a smidge of originality, and a little from the 1986 remake (for a little horror towards Mio). For those who think that it shouldn’t be allowed in it, I’m sorry. But that’s how it is. And for those who have or haven’t seen both episodes, the original was better, according to most people.  
> BTW, whatever story I retell or parody, I DO NOT own them, at all.  
> ________________________________________  
> Originally, Mugi Kotobuki was to play as the mannequin that tries to make Mio remember. However, I chose Megumi Sokabe, after seeing Episode 7 of “K-On! – Season Two”, and decided to recast the story, and wanted to add Megumi into the mix. Plus, who ever heard of a mannequin with big eyebrows? Maybe in figurines and dolls, but never in display dummies.


End file.
